A Microsoft President Equates Open Standards with Incompetence

The president of Microsoft Latin America, Hernán Rincón criticized the Brazilian government's support of open source software such as Linux by stating "innovation software does not happen in the hands of governments but the private sector."

Rincón went on to state that open source masks incompetence. It was asserted that free and open software require more work and investment from the government to keep programs updated and running, which does not happen when companies take care of that for the government.

According to Rincón, 95% of computers run Windows in Latin America. Apple and Linux accounted for 1.3% and from 2% to 3%, respectively.

In contrast to this Microsoft president's assertions, most people tend to believe that a closed software system such as exemplified by Microsoft products are more likely to mask incompetence and to impede both analysis of problems and efforts at rapid and sea-change innovation.

As to Microsoft performing the needed maintenance, I just don't recall Microsoft technicians coming to all of my company's desks to perform the urgent patch of the day, fix the blue screen of death, run the antispyware/antivirus programs and deal with the infections, and maintain all our PCs in optimal working order and speed of function.

This from the people who write bloated, non-optimized code with the cavalier attitude of "oh well, users will need to get a faster CPU and more memory." That doesn't even arise to the sublevel of incompetence, but rather something fundamentally wrong-headed. I do PC stuff as a hobby, and as most folks might've surmised... 6gb for a full install of OS with updates?! That's an absurdity...

I suppose the recent public relations and announced initiatives work that some Microsoft departments put in trying to re-position themselves as good partners and supportive of open source just went spiraling down the drain.

Let's not forget the "funeral stunt" the ad execs came up with at the braintrust known as Microsoft when they introduced their latest mobile phone... I believe RichardSito posted that story (as usual and as appreciated).

Lol! I guess that's better than calling us Linux users communists like usual. Shame on M$ when they are buddies with Novell?!?!?!? Besides they are behind the times apparently. Most of us Linux users have a tray app to update their system sitting right in their system tray like M$, minus all of the security updates and patches of course. Hell...most Linux users are more proficient than their PC counterpart and can update from a command line in their terminal. I even wrote my Conky to let me know when I have updates. That's why Linux ITs make more than their M$ counterparts. Of course the greatest part of open source software is the ability to change and modify. Something M$ makes you jump through hoops or use third party software for. I could go on all day about the advantages of GNU/Linux vs. M$.

Linux users have a tray app to update their system sitting right in their system tray like M$, minus all of the security updates and patches of course.

I still love a basic install is like 4.5gb (I mean full install without updates) of XP SP3; then you download like literally about 100 updates (and this includes "updates to updates" --- if a fresh install, why not a single package for these types; why an update to an update?????). By the time you're done with all the updates, it's up to 6gb.

I do, mauifrog --- yeah I know I can customize the install. The point is a basic operating system shouldn't be an install of that size in the first place. I don't use Linux, but those folks would know what I'm talking about as to bloated Operating System

Words do not begin express how screwed I am.- Phoenix Wright
Godot- As they say, a cornered fox is more dangerous than a jackal.
Phoenix- I believe the correct definition for a cornered fox is "scared and petrified".
Godot- ...Your animal analogies have grown tiresome!